Uncertain World
EmailA new Quinnipiac poll today got some notice here for its 55-27 percent advantage for John McCain as better qualified to deal with Russia. That looks to me simply to reflect McCain's longstanding, more general advantage on foreign affairs, for example his 63-26 percent advantage in our July ABC/Post poll as having "better knowledge of world affairs."
Clearly, to the extent to which public concerns about an uncertain world are heightened, McCain stands to benefit. Nonetheless, two provisos apply:
1) While McCain is better on international affairs head-to-head, both he and Obama are acceptable to majorities. Measured individually, in our last poll, "knows enough about world affairs to serve effectively as president" was 72 percent for McCain, 56 percent for Obama.
2) "Better qualified" to deal with Russia, which is what Quinnipiac asked, is not necessarily the same as whose approach you'd prefer. Again in our July data, while McCain had a wide lead on "better knowledge" of international affairs, the two were even in "trust to handle" them. And while McCain was much better rated individually as a good commander-in-chief, the two were even in trust to handle the Iraq war.
Separately, as always, I'm encouraging our people not to get hung up on the horse race; that's simply not why we do these polls. But it's worth noting that Quinnipiac's 47-42 percent Obama-McCain result is among likely voters. That's hardly a stop-the-presses moment; our own result among likely voters in July was 49-46.
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McCain is trigger-happy, Obama is a baffoon and Nader is silent. What a choice we have this November.
Posted by: CommenTarry | August 19, 2008, 11:53 am 11:53 am
Mcain wants to bomb russia mccain is obsessed with war, bomb bomb iran he sings lets stay in iraq 100 years MCAIN WILL LEAD US INTO WORLD WAR THREE HE IS VERY DANGEROUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: angie | August 19, 2008, 11:59 am 11:59 am
Obama is shallow. He proves his inability to fathom complex situations every time he opens his mouth. He spends as much time ‘clarifying’ previous statements as he does sticking his foot in his mouth.
What a guy. Mister wierd!
Posted by: Martin Slueg | August 19, 2008, 12:08 pm 12:08 pm
Seems to me the best way to understand Russia is to talk to them in order to understand where they are coming from. It also helps to understand that Georgia fired on Russian citizens first. I think McCain reflects the general arrogance of many of our leaders when it comes to dealing with other nations. Ron Paul.
Posted by: Ben Straub | August 19, 2008, 12:17 pm 12:17 pm
The usa needs to show the russians that we are not going to let them do what they are doing and give them a taste of there own medicin.
Posted by: m | August 19, 2008, 12:28 pm 12:28 pm
If you give McCain a year to think about a problem he eventually reaches the right conclusion. But his first reactions are always wrong. (e.g. Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Georgia, Agrees with Bush way too much…) The problem is he thinks he’s smart when he isn’t. I doubt he’s even as smart as Bush.
Posted by: James | August 19, 2008, 12:38 pm 12:38 pm
it doesnt matter who started it really because we are kinda tied up in few wars right now, its not like we can do anything!
Posted by: melissa | August 19, 2008, 12:39 pm 12:39 pm
Every time you hear Sen.Obama answer
a question,do you notice how many times
he said: “ah,ah,ah,” you know he is
lying through his teeth.How can anyone
in their mind vote for a man who only
spend one year in the senate and two
years campaigning and was a councilman
three years before going to Washington.
Posted by: vinnie | August 19, 2008, 12:39 pm 12:39 pm
natale from mass – They do know who started it. Even 50% of the Georgian people blame their own government. What I am countering is the silly arrogance that some republicans are displaying here. Russia is no different from us in their heavy-handedness. We have napalmed countries, bombed with nukes, etc. Now we are putting missiles in Russias backyard, and we have McCain going around saying they need to be kicked out of the G8. I know my history…don’t worry.
Posted by: Ben Straub | August 19, 2008, 12:40 pm 12:40 pm
“give them a taste of there own medicin.”
Like invade Iraq for no reason?
I’d remind you all that Georgia invaded So. Ossetia first.
Posted by: JR | August 19, 2008, 12:44 pm 12:44 pm
what a surprise!
Posted by: fact check | August 19, 2008, 12:48 pm 12:48 pm
JR – Don’t forget the 10 of thousands of injured US troops. We will be paying for that for the rest of their lives. Republicans really don’t get it.
Posted by: Ben Straub | August 19, 2008, 12:49 pm 12:49 pm
JR – Agreed.
Posted by: Ben Straub | August 19, 2008, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
Sure McCain got higher rating on actually being able to LEAD and deal with tyrant nations. If you look back through history, waving a magic tongue and being an appeaser rarely, if ever, worked to stop aggression unless you were ready to roll over and play dead and be enslaved by the oppressors. McCain knows this. All obama knows is that he has the gift of BS and it has almost made him president without qualifications, so why would it not stop aggression?
Posted by: sam | August 19, 2008, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
sam – We can’t afford it anymore. We are 9 trillion dollars in debt, 50+ trillion if you include entitlement currently owned. The external debt owned to foreigners is over 12 trillion according to the treasury departments website and wilkipedia. We spend 1.5 billion dollars a day on interest owned to foreigners. And you want more oversees adventures. Ron Paul.
Posted by: Ben Straub | August 19, 2008, 12:55 pm 12:55 pm
besides i have said a million times who is going to pay to raise the children who end up in foster care from taking away the legalization of abortion or the botched “home remedies” these women try??
any one with a lick of sense knows its only the beginning of new problems not the end of old ones.
Posted by: melissa | August 19, 2008, 12:55 pm 12:55 pm
jeanned’arc – Experience has screwed us over. Cheney and Rumsfeld had been there for decades. Sorry I will take some fresh faces. Anybody that voted to give Bush authority for this Iraq nonsense needs to be removed and replaced.
Posted by: Ben Straub | August 19, 2008, 12:57 pm 12:57 pm
well thank heavens mccain wasnt too busy voting against women and our troops to say those things , right!!
Posted by: melissa | August 19, 2008, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm
natale from mass – I am a Ron Paul republican so I am not one to tought Massechusetts. Don’t worry!
Posted by: Ben Straub | August 19, 2008, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm
ben straub goog luck got to go have a good day.
Posted by: natale from mass. | August 19, 2008, 1:06 pm 1:06 pm
natale from mass – thanks, have fun…
Posted by: Ben Straub | August 19, 2008, 1:08 pm 1:08 pm
Ben..So since we are in debt we should let communism take over the world? You think we should be held hostage for oil by Russia, Iran, China and OPEC, etc.. because we are in debt? Wake up, nothing is going to replace oil HERE for 50 years. Obama has said nothing new on fuel alternatives that haven’t been known for decades, he just says it prettier. Truth is no alternatives will replace oil, completely, until the whole world has a major make over. You want higher prices for the blood we put in our automobiles, then do nothing to stop aggression.
Posted by: sam | August 19, 2008, 1:10 pm 1:10 pm
i liked ron paul
Posted by: melissa | August 19, 2008, 1:15 pm 1:15 pm
Mr Coffee:
You allege that “McCain chose to let Afghanistan to reach this stage.” Try again.
Obama chairs the Senate subcommittee that could have actually engaged our European allies to implement a coordinated strategy for addressing Afghanistan much earlier. Instead, he failed to hold a single hearing of that committee (too busy running for president). Now Obama wants to pull troops out of Iraq and send them to Afghanistan. What a disaster! Obama’s efforts to look tough will mire us in another peripheral country, Afghanistan. Obama lacks the experience and resolve to address serious issues in countries like Pakistan, Iran and Russia.
Posted by: Nancy | August 19, 2008, 1:40 pm 1:40 pm
No more cowboy diplomacy – or in mccains case – fly boy diplomacy. It’s time to bring respect back to our country – no more intellectually silver-spooners. No more embarrassments at the fate of our country. No more knee jerk reactions – composure and intelligence that’s what I want in a president. That’s not mccain.
Posted by: jd | August 19, 2008, 2:28 pm 2:28 pm
You’d think someone would coach Obama to NOT look down his nose at everyone including his followers. One look and you realize this egomaniac’s disdain for his followers — like a king overseeing the surfs.
What a jerk!
Posted by: Martin Slueg | August 19, 2008, 2:36 pm 2:36 pm
Obama is still an empty suit who doesn’t know what he believes unless his handlers whisper in his ear. He’s an absolute disgrace! No wonder he’s unable to reach 50% in a time where a real candidate would be approaching 60%. That means most people can see through his shallow and insane understanding of real events.
Posted by: Martin Slueg | August 19, 2008, 3:03 pm 3:03 pm
How is McCain going to handle Russia; become bellicose and raise his voice at the Russian Bear? lol
If that poll is to be believed, it demonstrate again why the US is involved in so many armed and COSTLY conflicts: Favoring warmongers.
The reason for the blow up in Georgia, is due to the INCOMPETENCE of McCaint-Bush, and their insane efforts to throw America’s militarism at every situation!
Posted by: Patriot | August 19, 2008, 3:09 pm 3:09 pm
Any explaination as to why Obama just can’t seem to get that double digit lead they all said he’d get after Hillary dropped out, or after he’d return from his world tour? Why can’t this “shoe in” candidate get ahead?
Posted by: Debra | August 19, 2008, 4:49 pm 4:49 pm